Supplementary feeding sheep
Feed budgeting and advice for full hand feeding sheep
If you are hand-feeding, or planning to begin hand-feeding, it is important to know:
- how much feed your sheep will need
- how much feed you will need to buy
- how long you can keep feeding given your current feed on hand.
These worked feed calculations will help you to create a feed budget for a full hand feeding situation for your sheep.
Energy requirements
Most values given for feed requirements are based on a dry medium-framed Merino of 50kg mature weight in good condition with no fleece. This is commonly referred to as the sheep’s standard reference weight (SRW).
If your sheep are of a different frame size or condition, their requirements will need to be adjusted. The energy requirements of sheep will also vary with:
- the feed quality they are eating
- the amount of walking they are doing to find the feed
- their current status of nutrition
- for ewes, whether they are dry, pregnant or lactating.
Read the guide to ewe nutrition before you begin supplementary feeding.
Ration formulation
Ration formulation is matching the nutrient requirements of the sheep with nutrients supplied in available feeds.
In a ration to maintain adult sheep during a dry season in a confined area, energy is the most important, and the most limiting nutrient.
The energy required for an adult single bearing ewe in late pregnancy to maintain weight at 50 kg (CS 3) is 14 MJ ME kg/DM. If the feeds available are oaten hay and wheat, then how much of each feed should be given? Adult sheep need at least 20 per cent roughage in their ration during late pregnancy, as this is important for the production of milk fat.
For a ewe with standard reference weight: 50kg
Energy requirements: single bearing ewe late pregnancy: 14 MJME kg/DM
Step 1:
Energy of the ration = wheat (80% x 13.0 MJ/kg) + oaten hay (20% x 9.3 MJ/kg)
= 10.4 + 1.86
= 12.26 MJ/kg DM
Step 2:
Energy required = 14 MJME kg/DM
Divide by the energy level of the feed = 14 / 12.26
Kilograms of feed required = 1.14 kg/day
Step 3:
Amount of wheat = 80% x 1.14
= 0.91 kg/hd/day
Amount of oaten hay = 20% X 1.14
= 0.23 kg/hd/day
# Note: so far this is calculated on a dry matter basis
Step 4: To adjust to an ‘as fed basis’ – you need to divide the feed by the dry matter content
Wheat = 0.91 / 90%
= 1.00 kg/hd/day
Oaten hay = 0.23 / 91%
= 0.25 kg/hd/day
This ration will meet the energy requirement. Now we need to check the protein to ensure it is adequate.
Step 5:
Crude protein (CP) of the ration = wheat (80% x 12) + oaten hay (20% x 7.2)
= 9.6 + 1.44
= 11.04 % CP on a dry matter basis
This ration is in excess of the protein requirement of the 8% CP for late pregnancy. But this is ok as it may be financially viable to use feeds with a better balance between energy and protein
Example feed budgets
Grain - wheat based on $450*a tonne without freight
- Dry matter (%) = 90
- Energy (MJ/kg DM) = 13.0
- Crude Protein (%) = 12.0
Oaten Hay based on $350 a tonne without freight
- Dry matter (%) = 91.0
- Energy (MJ/kg DM) = 9.3
- Crude Protein (%) = 7.2
For feeding dry ewes
Cost estimates for full hand feeding a dry ewe for 240 days on only a wheat grain diet.
| Dry Ewe | Grain |
|---|---|
| Period | Day 0 to 240 |
| Days per period | 240 |
| Daily amount ‘as fed’ kg/hd/day | 0.58 |
| Total feed amount (1000 ewes) for period ‘as fed’ (tonnes) | 139.2 |
| Cost/hd/day ($) | 0.26 |
| Cost/hd for period ($) | 62.64 |
| Total ration cost for period ($) | 62,640 |
For feeding pregnant ewes
Cost estimates for full hand feeding 1,000 ewes with 30% twins and 70% singles for 240 days on:
- grain only (day 0-110)
- mixed ration of 80% grain and 20% hay (day 110-240).
| 30% twins and 70% singles | Early Pregnancy Grain | Split Feeding (80% G/20% H) Late pregnancy | Split Feeding (80% G/20% H) 1st month of Lactation | Split Feeding (80% G/20% H) 2nd-3rd month of lactation | Total | |||||||||
| Period | Day 0-110 | Day 110 - 147 | Day 147 - 177 | Day 177 - 240 | ||||||||||
| Total | Grain | Hay | Total | Grain | Hay | Total | Grain | Hay | ||||||
| Days per period | 110 | 37 | 30 | 63 | ||||||||||
| Daily amount ‘as fed’ kg/hd/day | 0.58 | 1.17 | 0.93 | 0.23 | 1.56 | 1.25 | 0.31 | 1.11 | 0.89 | 0.22 | ||||
| Total feed (1000 ewes) amount for period ‘as fed’ (t) | 63.8 | 43.12 | 34.50 | 8.62 | 46.87 | 37.50 | 9.37 | 69.85 | 55.88 | 13.97 | ||||
| Cost/hd/day ($) | 0.26 | 0.50 | 0.67 | 0.48 | ||||||||||
| Cost/hd for period ($) | 28.6 | 18.54 | 20.15 | 30.04 | ||||||||||
| Total ration cost for period ($) | 28,600 | 18,543 | 20,155 | 30,037 | 97,335 | |||||||||
These calculations do not take feed wastage and ‘cold snaps’ into account. You will need to vary your feed budget to suit your situation.